se faire des amis
The English phrase "make friends" is expressed in French as se faire des amis. Wiktionary also lists se lier d'amitié.
Meaning: to create friendships (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| se faire des amis | |
| se lier d'amitié | /sə lje d‿a.mi.tje/ |
The phrase is used to describe the act of creating friendships.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression se faire des amis literally translates to "to make for oneself some friends".
Which one should you use?
se lier d'amitié is more formal and literary than the common se faire des amis, translating to "to form a bond of friendship".
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "to make a friend" (singular), you change the plural article des to the singular un, resulting in se faire un ami.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying faire des amis to mean "make friends". English speakers often mistakenly say faire des amis instead of the reflexive se faire des amis when expressing the idea of gaining friends.
Did you know?
- The reflexive se in se faire des amis indicates that the person is the beneficiary of the action. Without it, faire des amis sounds like you are physically constructing human beings.
- French culture often distinguishes between copains and amis. While se faire des copains is used for casual acquaintances or schoolmates, se faire des amis implies a deeper emotional connection.
- The word lier in se lier d'amitié shares the same root as the English word 'ally'. Both come from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'to bind'.
Examples in context
- Il lui est aisé de se faire des amis.It's easy for him to make friends.This sentence shows how easy it can be for someone to make friends using se faire des amis.Tatoeba #2312392 by sacredceltic, translation #2311426 by Hybrid
- C'est une super manière de se faire des amis.It's a great way to make friends.This sentence describes a way to make friends using se faire des amis.Tatoeba #2312391 by sacredceltic, translation #2311429 by Hybrid
- C'est une bonne manière de se faire des amis.It's a good way to make friends.Tatoeba #2312394 by sacredceltic, translation #2311425 by Hybrid
- Au cours de cette conférence, j'espère pouvoir me lier d'amitié avec des collègues francophones.During this conference, I hope to make friends with French-speaking colleagues.
- En participant à ce club de conversation française, j'espère tisser des liens d'amitié avec d'autres étudiants internationaux.By joining this French conversation club, I hope to make friends with other international students.
- Pendant mon séjour en France, j'espère me faire des potes dans ma classe de français.During my stay in France, I hope to make friends in my French class.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are talking about starting a new job.
- ChloéEst-ce que tu as peur de ne pas se faire des amis ?Are you afraid of not making friends?
- LucasNon, j'adore se faire des amis rapidement.No, I love making friends quickly.
- ChloéC'est vrai, Lucas est très sociable.That's true, Lucas is very sociable.
- LucasMerci, Chloé ! On va s'amuser ensemble.Thanks, Chloé! We are going to have fun together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “make friends” translations and entries se lier d'amitié, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries des, faire, lier, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
